Suda51: She’s an active girl, very popular in school. She’s enjoying her high school life as a cheerleader at San Romero High. And she has the heritage of a zombie hunter, she’s an expert of zombie killing. She’s gone through strict training from when she was little.

Gameplanet:We play as Juliet, and the setting is San Romero high school. Is there a tale of forbidden love to be explored?

Suda51: Forbidden love? Possibly. Stay tuned for more information about the story as the campaign progresses.

Gameplanet:Western audiences might see the influences of such pop culture fare as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ‘50s romance comics and John Hughes juxtaposed against grindhouse slashers such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and George Romero’s Living Dead movies. What are some of the influences we might not spot and how do they fit into the game?

Suda51: Mixture of splatter and pop culture is really what makes Lollipop Chainsaw attractive. By the way, the first thing we bought as a reference is the replica model of the chainsaw in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This game is influenced not only by zombie movies, but you can see heavy influences from American pop culture and music.

Gameplanet:James Gunn has written the script, can you tell us about your collaboration?

Suda51: It was an idea suggested by Warner Brothers. Don’t you think it is the greatest collaboration? We worked together on the scenario created by us. He gave great feedback based on his method of creating dramas and we shaped up our script. Also his fine writing made the story even more fun and intriguing. The dialogue during battles is so well made thanks to his rewrites, and the characters movements are more alive than ever.

Gameplanet:What has he brought to the game?

Suda51: I think the distance to the players overseas was lessened and so it’s more relateable to everyone. Because of his rewrites, the characters are more attractive and the world now has more depth and it really made this game unique and special.

Gameplanet:Disembodied characters are increasingly common in your games. Why is that, and what is Nick’s role in the game?

Suda51: True, you see many disembodied characters in my games… This is really a coincidence. Nick’s role is still a secret.

Gameplanet:The game revels in sex and violence making it visually compelling, but is there substance behind the aesthetics? How do you intend to keep players engaged over the course of the game?

Suda51: Yes, you can see sex and violence, but of course there is substance as well. Chainsaw action and the story, customization, stage gimmicks and boss fight that we’re known for. Once you step into the world of Lollipop Chainsaw, you’ll fall in love with Juliet and you won’t be able to stop. Please watch out.

Gameplanet:What we’ve seen so far is visually extreme. The music is being composed by Akira Yamoaka. What can you tell us about his musical contribution and direction, can we expect his score to be equally outrageous?

Suda51: I can’t talk about it in detail, but we’ll do our best to provide music that will match your anticipation.

Grasshopper Manufacture's enigmatic CEO Goichi Suda took some time out from the development of Lollipop Chainsaw to answer a few questions for us.